Network structure of sodium and potassium borosilicate glass systems

Molar volumes and optical absorption spectra of Ni²⁺ ions were measured for sodium and potassium borosilicate glasses of the compositions xR₂O·B₂O₃·rSiO₂ (0.01 < x < 2.0; r = 1 and 2), where parameters x and r represent respectively the molar ratios R₂O/B₂O₃andSiO₂/B₂O₃. The presence of structural groups was discussed from the results. It was confirmed that addition of an alkali oxide changed BO₃ units to RBO₄ units in the range x < 0.55 for r=1 and x < 0.6 for r=2, while it created ROSiO₃ units in the range $\text{0.55 < x < 0.8}\text{for}\text{r=1}\text{and}\text{0.6}\text{x}\text{?}\text{< 0.9}\text{for}\text{r=2}$. In the range x > 0.8 for r=1 and x > 9 for r=2, ROSiO₃ and ROBO₂ units were created by the alkali addition. Here ROBO₂ units were also formed as a result of self-decomposition of RBO₄ units. The volume of void associated with a BO₄ unit was calculated and compared with the size of sodium and potassium ions. It was shown that sodium ions were small enough to be accommodated in the void whereas potassium ions were too large. This could explain the composition dependence of the molar volume of the sodium and potassium borosilicate glasses in the composition range x < 0.55 for r = 1 and x < 0.6 for r =2.